Coil forming apparatus



June .23, 1970' E. H. PRATT COIL FORMING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1968 I NV ENTOR.

EDGAR H. PRATT ATTORNEYS J 23, 1970 E. H. PRATT 3,516,139

COIL FORMING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ""1: 5 69 62b 5 18 P I INVENTOR. EDGAR H. PRATT ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 29200 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for collecting rod into a coil after the rod has cooled from rolling heat through transformation in the form of offset overlapping rings on a continuous ly moving cooling conveyor. The rings drop in a helical formation from the delivery end of the conveyor onto a collecting table. A mandrel extends upwardly through a slot in the collecting table to axially receive each ring being deposited. A short lateral reciprocating motion is imparted to the mandrel while the coil is being accumulated on the table. This reciprocating motion shakes the coil and settles each ring into place, thus insuring substantially uniform density of the coil around its entire circumference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned generally with a coil forming device of the type described in US. Pat. No. 3,176,385 where hot rolled steel rod is collected into upstanding cylindrical coils after the rod has first been cooled from rolling heat through transformation in the form of overlapping oifset rings on a continuously moving cooling conveyor. The rings assume a helical formation as they drop from the delivery end of the cooling conveyor onto an underlying collecting table. A mandrel extends vertically through a slot in the collecting table to axially receive each descending ring, thus providing a central guide around which the rings collect in coil form.

Although this type of device has been operated in the past in a generally satisfactory manner, a problem has been encountered at times when handling larger rod sizes in the range of /s diameter and greater. More partic ularly, experience has shown that the coils in this range of rod diameters frequently lack circumferential uniformity of density and shape. The sides of the coils nearest the cooling conveyor are usually less dense than the opposite sides, with the rings in each coil assuming a gradually steeper inclination from bottom to top in relation to the horizontal plane of the collecting table. This nonuniformity of density and shape becomes troublesome when subsequently compacting and storing the coils, particularly when a plurality of coils are being axially compacted and tied together in one large bundle. In this latter situation, the nonuniform shape and density of each individual coil is axially magnified resulting in a seriously distorted bundle.

These problems have now been overcome by the present invention, a general object of which is to avoid uneven buildup of the rings by laterally shaking the coil during the coil forming operation. This is accomplished in the preferred embodiment of the invention by laterally reciprocating the central mandrel in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cooling conveyor. This reciprocating movement shakes the coil and causes the rings to settle uniformly around the mandrel, the net result being a finished coil having an improved shape with a substantially uniform density around its entire circumference.

Another object of the present invention is to employ the raised mandrel as a means for clearing completed coils from the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken through a coil forming apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a coil collecting apparatus generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 is shown positioned adjacent the delivery end of a cooling conveyor 12. The conveyor is of the type described in US. Pat. No. 3,231,432, filed on Oct. 8, 1964 and issued to David W. McLean and Charles G. Easter on Jan. 25, 1966. Hot rolled rod is deposited on the conveyor 12 at its receiving end (not shown) in the form of overlapping non-concentric rings 14. The rings are carried through cooling zones to the delivery end of the conveyor where they are gripped by a tractor chain unit 16 and delivered horizontally into the upper chamber 18 of the coil forming apparatus. From this point, the rings descend in a helical formation generally indicated at 20 to be collected in a coil 22 on coil collecting table 24.

Table 24 is provided with an elongated opening or slot 26 through which extends a vertically disposed mandrel 28. The mandrel is provided with laterally disposed guide wheels 30 suitably arranged to ride on vertically extending tracks 32. The tracks are secured to I-beams 33a and 33b forming a part of a carriage assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 34. Mandrel 28 is axially movable by means of cylinder 36 between a raised operative position as shown in FIG. 1 and a lowered inoperative position beneath the level of coil collecting table 24. The raised mandrel 28 axially receives the rings dropping from the tractor chain unit and thus provides axial support for the coil 22 being formed on collecting table 24.

When a coil has been completely formed on coil collecting table 24, a ring intercepting plate 38 is moved by means of a cylinder 40 across the coil collecting apparatus to a position indicated in dotted at 38a. When thus positioned, a plate 38 effectively isolates the underlying fully formed coil 22 on table 24 from the upper collecting chamber 18. Where desired, a shear (not shown) may be employed to cut any rod strand encountered by the forward edge of ring intercepting plate 38, thus providing a means of separating a fully formed coil on table 24 from the continuously descending rings. This arrangement is employed when the coils being formed weigh less than the billet being rolled in the rod mill. The rings which continue to descend from the delivery end of conveyor 12 will temporarily accumulate on the upper surface of plate 38 until the underlying completed coil 22 has been cleared from the collecting table. Once this has been accomplished, intercepting plate 38 is withdrawn and the rings temporarily accumulated thereon allowed to fall to the collecting table for continued formation of the next succeeding coil.

The means employed for imparting reciprocating lateral movement to the mandrel 28 will now be described with further reference to FIG. 2. A first double acting cylinder assembly 42 is fixed on supports 44a and 44b beneath the delivery end of conveyor 12. Cylinder assem bly 42, which extends in a direction parallel to the length of conveyor 12 and the slot 26 in collecting table 24, includes an extensible piston rod 46. A second double acting cylinder assembly 48 is mounted on the vertical support 33a forming a part of carriage assembly 34. The second cylinder assembly 48 is aligned axially with the first cylinder assembly 42, and includes a cylinder 48a and an extensible piston rod 58 connected to piston rod 46 by means of a pin 52 and clevis 54. As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, cylinder assembly 48 is preferably provided with a shorter stroke and larger bore than that of assembly 42. In practice, this arrangement has operated satisfactorily by employing a first cylinder assembly -.a 42 with a 9 stroke and a 3 bore, and a second cylinder assembly 48 with a 6" stroke and a 4" bore.

The first and second cylinder assemblies 42 and 48 serve two separate and distinct functions, both of which entail imparting lateral reciprocating movement to carriage assembly 34 and the vertically extensible mandrel 28 carried thereon. More particularly, first cylinder assembly 42 serves as a means for laterally shifting carriage assembly 34 when clearing a fully formed coil 22 from the apparatus. With coil intercepting plate 38 advanced and the mandrel 28 raised, extension of piston rod 46 causes carriage assembly 34 to move to the right as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, thus resulting in the completed coils 22 being shifted laterally to a discharge position indicated in dotted at 22a. The mandrel is then lowered beneath the surface of table 24, the piston rod 46 retracted to return carriage assembly 34 to the position shown in FIG. 1, and the mandrel 28 thereafter raised back to its operative position prior to withdrawing the ring intercepting plate 38.

The second cylinder assembly 48 provides the means for laterally reciprocating carriage assembly 34 while the mandrel 28 remains operatively positioned during the coil forming operation. Operation of cylinder assembly 48 is controlled by means of a limit switch 56 mounted on a bracket 58 attached to the carriage support member 33a. A second bracket 60 is attached to the clevis 54 connecting piston rods 46 and 50 together. Bracket 60 supports a pair of stops 62a and 62b which are contacted by the limit switch at either end of the stroke of cylinder assembly 48. The limit switch 56 is connected in a conventionel manner to a solenoid valve (not shown) which controls the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid from a remote hydraulic pump through flexible lines 64a and 64b to cylinder assembly 48.

During the coil forming operation, piston rods 45 and 50 will remain stationary in relation to cylinder 48a, thus causing the carriage assembly to reciprocate laterally along a distance S which is equal to the distance between stops 62a and 62b. This reciprocating motion will be transferred to the mandrel 28, thereby causing the coil 22 accumulating on table 24 to be correspondingly reciprocated or shaken during the coil forming operation. Experience has indicated that a stroke S of between two and four inches shakes the coil sufliciently to settle the rings being axially received on mandrel 28 from the overlying delivery end of conveyor 12. The vertical growth of the coil on collecting table 24 is thus more uniform, resulting in a finished coil having an improved shape and a more uniform density around its entire circumference.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiment herein disclosed which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a coil forming apparatus of the type employed to collect a continuously descending helical formation of rod rings into an upstanding cylindrical coil, said apparatus including a horizontally extending support surface onto which the said rings are deposited, means for imparting a more uniform shape and density to said coil around the circumference thereof, said means comprising: a mandrel extending upwardly through an elongated opening in said support surface, said mandrel being operatively positioned to axially receive the rings being deposited on said support surface, and operating means for imparting a reciprocating lateral movement to said mandrel while said mandrel remains operatively positioned, the reciprocating movement of said mandrel being effective to impart corresponding lateral reciprocating movement to the coil being formed on said support surface.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mandrel is mounted on a carriage located beneath said support surface, said carriage being movable relative to said support surface in a direction parallel to the said elongated opening, said mandrel being movable relative to said carriage in a vertical axial direction through said opening between a raised position extending above said support surface and a lowered position therebeneath.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further characterized by said operating means also being operable to move said carriage from said coil forming apparatus to a laterally adjacent coil discharge station, thus imparting corresponding movement to a fully formed coil through which the said mandrel extends axially when in the raised operative position.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said operating means is comprised of two axially aligned double acting cylinder assemblies, the first of said cylinder assemblies being operative to move said carriage between said coil forming apparatus and said coil discharge station, the second of said cylinder assemblies being operative to impart reciprocating motion to said carriage and the mandrel mounted thereon while the mandrel remain-s operatively positioned at the coil forming apparatus.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second cylinder assembly is operatively connected between said carriage and said first cylinder assembly.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further characterized by each of said cylinder assemblies having piston rods extensibly mounted therein, the said piston rods being interconnected, one of said cylinder assemblies being connected to said carriage and the other of said cylinder assemblies being connected to an adjacent fixed support structure.

7. An apparatus for collecting a continuously descending helical formation of rod rings into an upstanding cylindrical rod coil, said apparatus comprising a horizontally extending support surface onto which the said rings are deposited from an overlying delivery point, an elongated opening in said support surface, a mandrel mounted for vertical axial movement through said opening between a raised operative position axially receiving the rings being deposited on said support surface and a lowered inoperative position therebeneath, means for imparting reciprocating movement to said mandrel in a direction parallel to the length of said opening while the mandrel remains operatively positioned, the reciprocating movement of said mandrel being effective to impart corresponding lateral reciprocating movement to the coil being formed on said support surface, and means associated with said first mentioned means for moving said operatively positioned mandrel along said opening to a laterally adjacent discharge station, thus imparting corresponding movement to a fully formed coil axially positioned on said mandrel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29-208; 72426 

